Ripple
by Marie Nomad
Summary: A single change can effect everything. Find out what happen if Kaoru was born a man instead a woman? How different can it be for everyone?
1. Born Wrong

None of these characters belong to me. They belong to Nobuhiro Waksuki.

The following chapters are meant to be short. They are a group of character driven one shots. Some parts will be shocking.

Ripple

Kaoru Kamiya

By Marie Nomad

It was a bright sunny day at the Kamiya Dojo as Kaoru was sweeping the front porch. Yahiko was practicing his katas. Kenshin was preparing some baked sweet potatoes and Sanosuke was just sleeping the day away.

A young teenage man with a shinai came up to the dojo and went up to Kenshin. "Excuse me, I am here to learn the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu. Are you the instructor? I had heard many good things about this place."

"That would be me!" Kaoru gushed as she ran up. She straightened herself out. "May I ask what is your fighting experience?"

The man stared at her.

"What?" Kaoru looked confused at him.

"You're a girl."

"So." Kaoru sweatdropped as she glared at him.

"I… I'm sorry. I gotta go!" He bowed and ran off. 

Clouds of doom surrounded the young kendo instructor. She was used to rejections like this but she really wanted students besides Yahiko. Scenes like this happened since she came back from Kyoto. 

"You chased off another one." Yahiko chuckled and then tensed up waiting for the retort.

The girl sighed as she sat down. "He looked like he had potential too." 

"There will be others, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin supported as he held up a sweet potato. "You are a good teacher."

"I know. I know, but I just wish more people can take me seriously. Makes me think that I was a mistake."

"Oro!" Kenshin put down his potato and put both hands on Kaoru's shoulders. "Kaoru-dono! Your life is precious that it is!"

"I want to be born! I just think that things might be better if I was born a man." Kaoru sighed as she looked at her chest. "I bet that I would have more students if I didn't have these."

Kenshin blushed as he put down his hands. "I like the way you are. Women are strong in their own way, Kaoru-dono. I would not change a thing about you."

"Yeah, thinking about you as a guy would feel weird but… not that much of a stretch." Yahiko tried to picture Kaoru with a goatee. 

"I know but still… oh well." Kaoru sat down. She didn't feel like cleaning any more. Maybe, if she was a son rather than a daughter, she would have been much stronger and Kenshin wouldn't be so overprotective of her. Her father's style would have a lot more students and things would have been a lot better. She lay down on the porch and closed her eyes.

To Be Continued…


	2. Katshiro meets Battousai

Ripple

Katshiro Kamiya meets The Battousai

By Marie Nomad

"This way." Katshiro led his strongest students down the street. There had been a killer going around proclaiming to be the Battousai and coming from the Kamiya Dojo. These rumors are hurting the newly formed style and he had to stop it before it gets worse. Thankfully, his students stayed by his side and agreed to get the Battousai.

Then, Katshiro held up his hand and pointed to a lone redhead with a sword at his side. He was small with a huge scar on his face. Katshiro screamed at the top of his lungs. "HALT BATTOUSAI!" He ran up and swung at the redhead.

The redhead dodged the blow and held up his sword by the sheath. "I am not dangerous." He gave Katshiro the sword by the hilt. 

Katshiro suspiciously unsheathed the sword and saw it was a reverse blade sword. "What the hell is this?"

"A harmless sword, that it is."

"Harmless or not, it's still illegal to carry around a sword like that in plain sight." Katshiro put the sword back. "You should be careful. There is a murderer on the loose called the Battousai."

"The Battousai!"

"Yes, he was going around saying that he is from our dojo and it was not like that at all. Our style is a new protective style created by my father to be nonlethal but still protective." Katshiro held up his bokken. "Anyway, me and my students are going to stop him. Have you seen him?"

"Do you know what the Battousai looks like?" 

"Not really." The redhead facefaulted. "But, I thought you were him because you were carrying around that sword. That's what the police officers are doing."

"There's the Battousai!" An officer yelled in the distance.

"Excuse me." Katshiro gestured to his students and they ran down the street to see a huge masked man swinging a sword around.

"Halt! I am the Battousai of the Kamiya Kasshin dojo!" He roared as he took some men down with his sword.

"Hold it right there, pal." Katshiro charged. "I am Katshiro Kamiya, the second Master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu!" He and the Battousai attacked each other and the Battousai sliced through his bokken.

"Get him!" Katshiro's students yelled and then a blur appeared.

The redhead slammed into the giant and he fell down. Katshiro held his shoulder and then stared at his bokken. "It is foolish to fight a metal sword with a wooden one."

"Maybe." Katshiro grit his teeth and he flung the mask off to see Gohei. "Gohei, my father's old pupil. He was expelled for his use of violence! Damn him!"

"Sensei…" One of Katshiro's students whispered.

"I'm okay. Just a flesh wound." Katshiro looked at the redhead. "Thank you for saving my life. What is your name?"

"I am just a wanderer. I am… sorry for what you had to go through because of the Battousai."

"He's not the real Battousai. Gohei lived in Tokyo at the time of the Bakumatsu. There's no way that he can be the real Battousai." Katshiro looked up to see the redhead gone.

"Oh my God!" A police officer yelled as he ran up to the group. "Did you know who that redhead was?"

"What?"

"He's the real Battousai! He has the cross shaped scar!"

"WHAT!" Everyone exclaimed.

To Be Continued…


	3. Yahiko

Ripple

Yahiko the Thief

By Marie Nomad

Yahiko pant as he ran away. He was getting better and faster at being a pickpocket. Lately, he could pick some of those tighter western clothes with the richer pockets.

Once upon a time, he would believe that he would be rescued by some kind soul and be a warrior like his father had been. But the age of the samurai was over. He should know. Now, he had to steal to survive with the Yukawa. 

"Hey, brat!" A thug came up to Yahiko. "You have my wallet. Give it back and I'll let you live."

Why did things have to be the way they are? It might be better if he dies but he won't. Yahiko grinned as he held out the wallet with one hand with his other hand behind him. He learned something from the Yukawa, something that he will make sure everyone else will learn. 

The thug took the wallet and Yahiko took out a brand new gun he got off of a gullible foreigner. 

BANG

The thug fell over and Yahiko took back the wallet. He stared at the gun and felt power. "Power is the new age." He walked away with his footsteps covered in blood.

To Be Continued…


	4. Fallen Doctor

Ripple

A Fallen Doctor

By Marie Nomad

Aoshi gazed down at the woman at his feet. "A pity." He and his group looked hard for this woman for his employer. She had valuable information in her head and she escaped from his employer with everything.

She ran hard and fast but no one would help her. No one can with his ninjas at every turn. Finally, he caught her but she surprised him. The ninja sighed. She had died the way a ninja would have when she was caught. When she ran away, she took a bunch of opium with her and hid it in her mouth. She swallowed every single one.

Now, he had to explain why he failed to bring this woman back alive. Maybe, he can dissect her stomach to find any lost opium that was not digested yet.

To Be Continued…


	5. The Really Bad Man

Ripple

Ripple

The Really Bad Man

By Marie Nomad

Zanza sat in the dark damp cell. He couldn't believe that he got caught with Katsu with those bombs. It was fate that had him and Katsu bumping into each other and deciding to bomb all of the buildings in revenge for their captain's death.

"Hello."

Zanza looked up. "Who's there?"

A figure on the other side of the bars grinned. "A friend. I heard so much about you and your attempts to destroy stuff. I like that."

"Heh. Tried. Katsu's dead and I'm getting executed. I hate this government."

"I know. My boss is interested in hiring you for some really big fights. I hear that you really love to destroy stuff."

"Yeah, I do."

"You have potential, would you like to join us and watch Japan fall into flames?"

Zanza tapped on the door. "Hate to break this to you, but I'm in here and there are a lot of officers out there."

"Not right now." The figure held up a bloody key and unlocked the door. "I killed them all. But we better hurry before there's more."

Sanosuke went though the door to see a strange smiling boy in front of him. "You're a… kid?"

"I'm the Tenken and I am very strong."

"Just one question, is there a chance that I can fight the Battousai?"

"We're looking for the Battousai ourselves!" The boy smiled even more.

"Count me in."

To Be Continued…


	6. No Choice

Ripple

No Choice

By Marie Nomad

He had no choice. He had no choice at all. Blood pooled around him as he gazed around him. That murderer had taken a politician's daughter hostage and forced him to fight.

He made him fight.

Jineh made him fight.

He had to save the girl but the only way to save is through death.

Jineh's death was the only way to save the girl from choking to death.

He had to save the girl.

He had to kill.

The Battousai stared at Jineh's dead body and then at his bloody reverse blade sword. Tears came down his face as he knelt down. He was a fool to believe he could defend others without killing. He was a manslayer like Jineh and he will remain a manslayer until he dies. "I'm sorry, Tomoe."

To Be Continued…


	7. Enemies

Ripple

Enemies

By Marie Nomad

Saitou glanced over at the Battousai. The officer had heard rumors that the Battousai had been seeking a peaceful way of fighting. He scoffed at the idea, a sword is made to kill, and there is no other way.

"What are you looking at?" The Battousai sounded dead. Like he had lost all hope and just went from one task to the next.

"I can't wait until we fight again, Battousai."

"Just wait until we kill this Shishio and his men. He makes me sick."

"They are very strong."

"Then, we will just fight harder. I will die before I will let any more innocent people die. Oh by the way, thank you for having the government give me permission to wear my swords." The Battousai held up his twin swords.

"They would have given you permission anyway." They came up to a dead village. "We're here."

"Hello, Battousai." A tall man grinned as he walked up. He was dressed in black with a red bandana.

"Who are you?" The Battousai asked. Saitou raised an eyebrow.

"I am Zanza and I am going to kill you." Zanza held out a polished huge sword with blood all over it.

"You can have him." Saitou stepped back. The former Shinsengumi member didn't want to get his katana dirty by some idiot.

To Be Continued…


	8. A Grave

Ripple

A Grave

By Marie Nomad

A lone figure stood in the old graveyard as he knelt down. He could not believe that this had happened. Why did he come back like that? Why did he demand to finish his training in his condition?

His idiot apprentice had come to him demanding to finish his training to defeat a great evil in Japan. There was a fighter that he couldn't defeat. He tried to get his state of mind changed but he couldn't. Not even he could perform miracles.

He should have done this years ago He foolishly thought that his apprentice would change especially after Tomoe but he didn't. Finally, after a night of meditation, he went ahead and gave lessons on the last two moves.

The first move went well and his apprentice did fine. Unfortunately, it was the second and fatal move that he couldn't achieve.

The last move, the succession move required a great amount of will to live, something his apprentice didn't have. He didn't want to live. His idiot apprentice had nothing to live for.

That was the reason, why the Hiten Mitsurigi went uncorrupted for so long. At least, it didn't create any more manslayers but now he had to find a new apprentice to pass down his teachings and maybe next time he would be successful and his new apprentice would succeed him like Hiko had succeeded his master.

Hiko sighed as he poured the last of his sake onto a set of swords that he set up over the grave. Maybe, in his next life, he would have some sense of peace.

He stood up and walked down the mountain. He has a great evil to stop.

To Be Continued…


	9. Closing the Gates

Ripple

Into the War

By Marie Nomad

Katshiro closed the doors of the dojo. There had been a lot of chaos in Japan lately. Shishio had caused chaos in all parts of Japan even after his defeat. Kyoto was in flames and all of the rebels and samurai disgusted with the Meiji Era are popping up taking advantage. The Meiji Government is calling for all people to fight and so he will fight.

The young man sighed as he thought about all that happened in the past few months while he was trying to teach his father's style. Was it the right time for the style to come? He shook his head. What could this style do against someone like the Battousai? Nothing.

Deep down, he wondered if things were different, would things be the way they are today. People are attacking each other in the streets and defiantly carrying around swords in plain view. He didn't know.

He held the bokken in his hand and then stared at the sign. "I'm sorry, Father." He put down the bokken and put on the western sword. He walked out of the gates and into the chaos known as Japan.

To Be Continued…


	10. Awakening

Ripple

Awaken

By Marie Nomad

"NO!" Kaoru screamed as she woke up and looked around to see her friends staring at her.

"Are you alright, Kaoru-dono? You were having a nightmare but we could not wake you up." Kenshin said concerned as he leaned beside her.

"You're alive! You're all alive and not evil!" Kaoru reached up and hugged Kenshin.

"Oro?"

"I had this nightmare that I was born a man and… Yahiko became a killer, Sano was working for Shishio, Megumi committed suicide because no one helped her escape from that guy and… you became the Battousai and Hiko killed you because of it!"

"That would happen if you would be born a guy?" Yahiko just looked at her skeptically.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, I shouldn't wish that things were different. So, I am a woman and it's harder for people to take me seriously as a kendo teacher. I just have to work harder to make sure people take me seriously." Kaoru vowed.

"I am glad that you are not still upset, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin relaxed as he offered her a sweet potato.

"I can't trade you guys for anything."

The End


End file.
